Production of fluoropolymers, both thermoplastic and elastomeric, by emulsion and solution polymerization methods is well known in the art; see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,214,060; 4,281,092; 4,380,618; 4,524,197; 5,789,508; 6,774,764 B2. Generally, fluoropolymers are produced in an emulsion polymerization process wherein a water-soluble polymerization initiator and a relatively large amount of surfactant are employed.
Morgan et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,395,848 B1) disclose an aqueous dispersion process utilizing a combination of at least two fluorosurfactants. At least one surfactant is a perfluoropolyether (PFPE) carboxylic acid, sulfonic acid or the salt thereof and at least one surfactant is a fluoroalkyl carboxylic acid, sulfonic acid or the salt thereof, or a fluoroalkoxy aryl sulfonic acid or salt thereof. Some fluoropolymers made by this process may be difficult to isolate from the resulting dispersion.